The Times Square chaos stirred up by a thug using a stolen gun from out of state is another example why the nation needs tougher gun laws, Mayor Bloomberg said yesterday.

“We’ve got to stop this,” he said. “This is one of the great public health threats. And our police officers are clearly in danger.”

Investigators are trying to figure out how Raymond Martinez got a hold of the MAC-10-style pistol that had been stolen earlier this year from its registered owner in Virginia. Martinez was able to fire two shots before the gun — which carried a total of 29 bullets — jammed.

He was also carrying business cards from several gun dealers in Virginia when he was shot and killed, cops said.

“We keep getting this lesson every day,” Bloomberg said. “If you think of all the publicity about the terrible tragedy of Virginia Tech, we have a Virginia Tech in this country every day. It’s just spread across 50 states.”